


If You Hurt Him - Bruce Edition

by RichardGraysonPercyJackson



Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [17]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-15 18:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18674881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/RichardGraysonPercyJackson





	If You Hurt Him - Bruce Edition

They’d been standing in the middle of the living room for fifteen minutes in total silence. Dick was pretty sure he couldn’t get any more anxious. He looked up at Bruce but the man looked the exact same as he had the last time Dick had looked.

Which was absolutely expressionless, arms crossed over his chest as he stared at Slade.

Slade, at least, had a more relaxed posture though he did have a smirk on his face that had Dick knowing that whatever the mercenary was going to say when he broke the silence, no one was going to like it.

Finally, Dick cleared his throat. “So-”

“Dick, I’d like you to leave the room,” Bruce said, cutting him off.

Dick scoffed. “Excuse me?”

“I’d like to talk to Mr. Wilson alone,” Bruce replied.

“Bruce-”

“Dick.”

Slade chuckled, shaking his head before looking down at Dick. “I’ll be fine, my pretty bird,” he murmured, reaching over to stroke Dick’s hair off of his face, tucking a strand behind Dick’s ear and enjoying the way he could see Bruce becoming more and more tense at the extended contact.

“Don’t kill him,” Dick muttered.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Slade assured, pressing his lips to Dick’s in a long, slow kiss. When they broke it off, Dick gave him a knowing look.

“Don’t antagonize him,” he whispered.

Slade clicked his tongue, straightening up as Dick made his way towards the door of the living room.

“Now you’ve taken all the fun out of it,” he called.

As soon as Dick was gone, Slade was being body slammed into the wall, held there by Bruce’s forearm against his throat.

“I’d like you to know,” Slade said calmly. “That had I not wanted to move, you would not have been able to move me.”

“What are you doing?”

Slade raised an eyebrow. “Currently, I’m thinking about how I’m going to convince the kid to join me in my bed when we get back.”

Bruce  _ snarled _ and Slade grinned. “I  _ meant  _ what do you think you’re doing with Dick? What are you holding over him?”

Slade scoffed. “You think I’m blackmailing him into this relationship?”

Bruce’s reply was blunt. “Yes.”

“I’m not,” Slade said calmly. “I ran into my little bird when he was injured. I took him home, wrapped him up, then let him fly away.” Slade grinned, leaning into Bruce’s personal space. “He is the one that came back. After which, I began to develop and reciprocate feelings towards and for him. I promise, Mr. Wayne, I have never hurt him.”

“You threw him off a building.”

“When he was thirteen,” Slade corrected. “Things are different.”

“You are forty-six years older than him.”

“I’m impressed you know that,” Slade admitted.

“You  _ kill  _ people,” Bruce hissed. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

“By all means, please share,” Slade requested. “Because I clearly don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You’re pushing him to the edge,” Bruce hissed. “Your only goal, your  _ only  _ underlying motive is to turn him into your apprentice. Your Renegade-”

Slade moved faster than Bruce was expecting and between one blink and the next, he found himself on the floor, Slade kneeling on top of him with one knee in the middle of Bruce’s back, pulling his arm back so that if Bruce moved, it would rip out of its socket.

“ _ Never _ ,” Slade hissed. “Say that name.  _ Again _ . I  _ love  _ Richard. I am  _ in love  _ with Richard. But if you ever  _ dare  _ to insinuate that I am only using him to lean back into an old, rather pathetic infatuation, then I will rip out your throat and shoved it up your ass.”

The two remained were they were for a long time before Slade finally released Bruce and stood, taking a few steps back.

“And you know the best part about all of this?” Slade asked as Slade . “Even if I  _ was _ blackmailing him? You won’t kill me.”

“I won’t,” Bruce said calmly. “But if you break his heart-” He didn’t get to finish his threat before Dick walked in.

“I had a really bad feeling that you two were at each other’s throat and I felt like I had to come intervene before someone killed the other.”

“We were just talking,” Slade said with a gentle smile, walking over to press a kiss to Dick’s forehead before pulling the acrobat into his side. “We’re more civilized than you seem to think we are, pretty bird.”

Dick still looked skeptical before looking over at Bruce. “Bruce?”

Bruce was silent for a long time. “If you’re asking for my blessing,” he said calmly. “I can’t give it.”

Dick swallowed thickly, fighting down tears. “I’m not here to ask for your blessing,” he whispered. “I just...wanted you to know, Bruce.”

“Now I know,” Bruce said calmly. 

“Yeah,” Dick said quietly. “Now you know.” he looked up at Slade. “I’m ready to go if you are.”

“Of course, pretty bird,” Slade replied. “Go to the car. I’ll meet you there.”

Dick looked skeptical before turning and making his way to the car, trying to subtly wipe his eyes. Once he was gone, Slade looked back at Bruce.

“You preach to me to not break his heart,” he said calmly. “But I think  _ you  _ just did.”


End file.
